My 4 year old Chow Figo was itching his stomach area with his back leg frequently and when i looked it had gone bald and an area of about 6x4 inches of re and black irritation. I went to the vet who gave me flea drops, anti biotic tablets and anti biotic cream. I gave him the tablets but he wont let me near him with the cream. The itching seemed to stop but when i checked to see if it had gone a good 4 weeks later it is still there although dosnt seem to be itching him. Anyone got any ideas as what it could be as my vet is clueless??

The darkening might be post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. If the skin damage was deep enough, part of the healing process involves mobilizing melanin pigment to protect the damaged skin from UV rays.

Also, some antibiotics have a side-effect of making the damaged skin more sun-sensitive. It might be a combination effect of the two, if your Chow is laying outdoors with the bald area of damaged skin exposed. It can take some time to return to normal. You might consider boosting skin healing supplements, such as B-complex, zinc, sulfur.

chowchowfigo wrote:We live in the UK so no danger of seeing any sun!! Would it take that long to go away also as its been there for well over a month...

Here's an excerpt: "Remember: UV rays reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as on bright and sunny days. UV rays can reflect off virtually any surface (including sand, snow and concrete) and can reach you in the shade"

If the skin discoloration is indeed post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, it might take as long to disappear as waiting for 'new skin turnover' if the damage affected deeper layers of the skin. If your Chow is laying outdoors with the bald area exposed to UV rays, you might cover the bald area with a patch or put a child's t-shirt on him until the fur grows back.

If the black spots seem moist, and resemble india ink, those may be fungal or bacterial infections. You would need a fungal remedy for a fungal problem. A vinegar/boric acid solution works well on simple fungal problems.

If the discoloration is more clear purplish than an opaque black, your doctor would know to test hormones such as thyroid.

There are some archived research threads on the various skin dermatoses, too. Some include photos of conditions...

Here's an excerpt about one of the 'fungal' type infections, we've discussed many times on these forums. This one responds well to the vinegar/boric acid remedy I mentioned.

Excerpt: Yeast 'Malasezzia'

"Most often dogs that are suffering from malasezzia have skin lesions. These lesions can be solitary (one or two), multifocal (in patches), or generalized (all over). The sores are usually red and are accompanied by areas of increased pigmentation, hair loss, and scaliness or greasiness. This scaliness and greasiness with a yellowish tint is usually the tipoff that malasezzia is the culprit. The dogs are also usually very itchy and have a musty or seborrheic-type odor. The most common sites are the underside of the neck, the belly, and the feet, especially between the toes."